Name Issues
by Chereche
Summary: Finn surprises Kurt for an afternoon out in a prelude to an important conversation.
"Finn?" Kurt said in surprise, as he neared the carpark. He had to admit, he hadn't paid that much attention to the text on his phone when it had come through. His phone had vibrated, the usual signal on a Friday afternoon that either Carole or his dad had arrived to take him home, and so, he'd gathered his stuff, bid Blaine, Wes and David goodbye and had hurried off, half-hoping it was Carole because then they could conspire about dinner plans on the journey back and the best way to trick his dad and Finn into eating vegetables. Finn being there though was surprising, and not only for the fact that he should technically have been in glee club for a next thirty minutes.

"Surprised?" Finn asked jovially, as he took his bag from him, lifting his brow in surprise at its weight before putting it in the back seat.

"Why are you here?" he inquired, climbing into the vehicle. "Nothing's wrong right?"

Finn shrugged as he started the ignition. "Can't I just want to bring you home?"

"I suppose," Kurt allowed, "but you're not really the spontaneous type."

Finn sighed, before looking at him. "You are too perceptive," he grumbled. "I figured we could make an afternoon of it. We haven't really gotten the chance to just...you know, hang out since the wedding."

"Oh."

It was true. Within a few days of the wedding Kurt had been enrolled here, and more than a little horrified to realise that boarding was mandatory. Ever since then he'd only been in Lima Friday afternoons through Sunday evenings, and while that may still seem like an acceptable timeframe, with the amount of work the school liked to assign and the fact that Finn had football practice for most of Saturday, and more often than not had dates or some other social activity on Fridays and Saturday nights (Carole insisted that Sunday was for home), Kurt really didn't see all that much of him. It sort of defeated the purpose of them being family, he thought.

"So," Finn continued, as he drove out of the compound, "I was thinking we can try out one of food courts in Westerville's mall? You said they have a movie theatre attached right? There's that musical thing still showing."

"You want to watch Les Miserables?" Kurt said, disbelieving.

"You'd like that right?"

"I would," Kurt admitted. He never saw the appeal of guns and exploding vehicles and he didn't fancy being forced to endure it now.

"Then that's what we're watching," Finn answered decisively, leaving Kurt looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and worry. Just what was going on, and why was Finn catering to him in this way?

They ended up having to watch the movie first. It was the only way to avoid a drive to Lima at nearly eleven o clock in the night. Finn had only recently gotten his licence, mostly because Burt had promised to help him build a car in the summer (because for some weird reason it was something that the quarterback had always wanted to do), and wasn't yet too comfortable with driving in the night, and Kurt, hadn't bothered to bring his licence with him. He'd figure that Carole would get a better use of the Navigator than him; if he had retained sole driving privilege of it, his baby would sit in the school's car park for the entire week doing nothing seeing that only seniors got to leave the compound during the week anyway. Stupid rules.

And so, having missed the first thirty or so minutes of the movie (something that Kurt was okay with because he'd actually seen the movie the previous week with the girls) they took in the rest of it, and settled for grilled chicken sandwich and fries instead of something a bit fancier, just to save a bit of time.

"What's going on?" Kurt finally asked, midway through his sandwich, unable to restrain his curiosity any more. It wasn't that he was against spending time with Finn, it was actually something he had been looking forward to after their parents had gotten engaged. But for Finn to go out of his way to do this...he couldn't shake off the feeling that there was just something more to it.

Finn expression darkened briefly and he pointedly finished his sandwich before he responded. "I called Burt 'dad' yesterday," he admitted.

"Oh," was Kurt's only, slightly dumbfounded response. Out of everything he had expected Finn to say, that certainly had not been it. He forced himself not to jump to conclusions, his mind briefly flitting back to a few months before when he had been almost frantic with worry that his dad would be so happy with an actual masculine son that he'd forget all about him. He was past that - mostly - but even he would admit to a mild feeling of discomfort at Finn's words. In his absence had his dad and him really formed such a strong bond?

"It just slipped out," Finn continued, speaking a bit faster now, "I didn't mean to, and Burt said he didn't care either way, but...I thought it was something I should talk to you about."

"Do you want to keep calling him 'dad'?" Kurt asked. It wasn't even a consideration for him. Now that he thought about it, even though his dad and Carole were married, that was exactly how he thought of them, his dad and Carole. He'd never grouped them as his parents, even in speech or in his mind. They were a separate entity joined by a marriage that he had wholeheartedly approved of, but didn't really envision the effect it would have on him. But for Finn to acknowledge his dad as his father, well...that was opening a whole new can of worms that Kurt wasn't sure he was prepared to deal with.

Finn shrugged, and Kurt barely resisted the urge to smack his hand as it stole across the table to snag a few of his fries. Rolling his eyes, Kurt pushed the tray towards him. It was the only reason he had gotten himself the combo anyway; he knew that Finn ate a hell of a lot more than him, and truthfully, he couldn't afford the effect too many carbs would have on his pear hips. Finn's eyes widened slightly in delight, and, despite the seriousness of the conversation, Kurt found himself smiling fondly. It was that very trait that had caused him to develop a crush on Finn in the first place; he was always open with his emotions in a refreshing, endearing way.

But, Kurt was also very aware that the taller teenager was using the food as a delaying tactic, and so he glared at him - mildly of course because he really wasn't too annoyed by it. It was actually a bit cute if he were to be completely honest.

"I've kind of been thinking of him like that for a while now," Finn finally admitted. "Look, I know it's different for you. You've actually had a mom, you know? But I've never known my dad. He's never been a factor for me. And as stupid as it sounds, I always wanted a dad. And well, Burt's kind of a great man to have as a father."

"He is," Kurt responded, smiling softly. He truly was. His father was the sort who had no idea what Kurt was talking about or doing at any given moment, but would sit there and listen and watch regardless, cheering for him loudly (and asking later if Kurt had actually done well). He was also the same man who had threatened to burn McKinley down for failing to keep his son safe, and was doling out money they really didn't have to spare to send him to school in Westerville.

"Are you okay with that?" Finn asked, "I don't want to cross any boundaries."

Kurt leant back, considering. It meant a lot that Finn was even asking him about it; hell he really didn't have to. And, now that he was getting more accustomed to the idea, he didn't really see a problem with it. Except - "It's like you said Finn," he answered slowly. "You've never had a dad, but I've had a mom. I have a mom," he amended, because she truly was not gone if he continued to hold her in his heart. "I'm not going to call Carole mom. There's only one woman who has that title and she's gone."

"I understand that," Finn responded softly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. I guess it would be weird if I called Burt dad if you don't call mom the same."

"It would," he agreed. "I like Carole a lot Finn," he explained further, "and I guess it's similar for you. I love having a woman in the house. But she can't be mom to me." He paused, and took in Finn's slightly crestfallen face. "I haven't put as much thought into this as you, for obvious reasons. I'm just not around enough. So you'll have to help me," he finished, coming to a conclusion.

"With what?"

Kurt thought about it for a moment, and what he was about to offer. It wasn't exactly as natural for him as it seemed to be for Finn, but honestly, Kurt could admit that it wasn't as if he was against the idea. It just hadn't been an issue for him. But, now that it was presented to him, he supposed that it was unfair that he still saw Carole as his dad's wife, and not as, at the very least, his stepmother. He didn't have his dad and Carole, he supposed he did really have parents. And he supposed that that would actually make Finn his brother. And, he was okay with that, he found.

His lips parted, and he answered Finn's question finally. "I can't call her mom, but...do you think she'd be okay with momma?"

Finn's grin to his question was more than enough of an answer.


End file.
